The Tree of Merlin
by animals202
Summary: One-Shot Canon Divergence. Legends say that Merlin, before his death, turned into a tree. Arthur wished there was another way. Merthur Angst.


**Set in 5x13 when Emyrs appears on the mountaintop during the final battle.**

* * *

Wind whipped around his aged-face as he struggled to maintain his disguise while also distracting Morgana. Camelot's forces were barely holding their own against her rampage, and Merlin was only hoping he made it in time to turn the outcome of the war.

The instant that Morgana saw him, she turned feral. "Emyrs!" She had hissed in disdain. Several of her closer knights, such as Modred, turned to face him with matching ferocity.

"Face me, Morgana!" He yelled then quickly scaled down the mountain that they were standing on, the side without Arthur and his knights. Morgana quickly followed as well as Mordred.

"Are you running, Emyrs?" Morgana snarled, "Or should I say, Merlin?"

He dropped his disguise, and felt his youth rejuvenate his limbs.

"I'm guessing nothing I say now will stop this madness?" Merlin tried, but he knew full well that she was long gone. And that it was his fault.

"The throne is rightfully mine!"

With a chant and a flick of the wrist, she sent a blast of fire towards Merlin. He easily deflected it as Morgana yelled, "Aithusa!"

Screeching, Aithusa descended from the sky right in front of Merlin. Her eyes looked sadly at him.

Merlin switched to dragon tongue and ordered Aithusa to leave. Aithusa screeched before leaving the battle as quickly as she had entered.

Morgana was wide-eyed and disbelieving just like she had been when Mordred had told her Merlin was Emyrs. Yet she sees with her own eyes.

"The Last Dragon Lord…" She breathes.

Merlin retaliated with a spell of his own. He swung his staff and Morgana went flying into the air as an unseen force slammed into her.

"I'm sorry, Morgana," Merlin said sadly, slowly making his way over to Morgana. She had once been a close friend, kind to everyone she met. Merciful.

She scrambled backwards fearfully before her smile turned wicked, "I'm not"

Then Merlin's insides turned cold. He felt blood come to his lips. He looked down to see a sword protruding from his stomach before it was painfully removed, leaving a gap where it was. The sword was cold, and he could feel that it was enchanted by a dragon. He swayed on his feet as the figure walked in front of him. He was greeted by Mordred's insane grin, driven by the broken trust and lost love he had suffered.

"Hello, Emyrs," He said maliciously. He then went to help Morgana to her feet.

Merlin was struggling to breathe, to stand. His magic was speeding around his body like electricity, trying to repair the fatal wound to no avail. He knew he wasn't going to last long, but no one else in Avalon stood a chance against Morgana.

He backed away from Morgana and Mordred, who were hugging, and switched his magic's focus from healing to attack.

Mordred was the one facing him, and his eyes widened when he realized what Merlin was doing. Shoving Morgana away, he was hit directly with a bolt of lightning. He went sailing backwards before crashing into the mountain side. Smoke was coming off of him, and Merlin wasn't sure if he had killed him.

Morgana yelled in fury and threw her hand out while quickly chanting an incantation. At the same time, Merlin was chanting as well. He pointed his staff at her, and then two spells lit up the dark sky.

One spell green and one blue, they both missed each other by an inch before striking true. Instead of knocking them backwards like spells usually do, however, the two were frozen in place.

Merlin was exhausted and drained. He was prepared to fall over right then, but he couldn't. Looking down, he saw from his mid-calves down, he had bark instead of skin. From what he could tell, it was slowly growing up his leg.

He heaved a short, delirious laugh at the thought. Morgana's last spell was a prison. To eternally trap someone forever. It sounded just like her.

His spell, however, was more merciful. Across from him stood frozen was Morgana. Her entire body, from head to toe, had turned to stone. One of her arms was still pointing out towards him, and a look of fury and madness had taken over her once beautiful features. She would forever be remembered for the evil she had fallen to, and not the selfless princess that had once existed before all of this. In a way, it was just as cruel.

"Merlin!"

Merlin turned his upper body to see Arthur frantically scaling down the mountain. The prat was alone, and the fight must've been turned to his favor for him to have abandoned in. This, however, wasn't what caused the fear to spike through him. It was that maybe Arthur saw, but then he chuckled darkly because what could he do? He was already dying.

"Merlin, you idiot, what are you doing here?"

Arthur quickly ran up to Merlin. He placed a hand on his shoulder when he saw the look in Merlin's eye. He saw the effects of war there, and he had never wanted to see that before in Merlin.

Ah, so Arthur hadn't seen, but then his gaze fell to Morgana, frozen in place; it then slowly turned to Mordred, crumbled near the base of the mountain. He hadn't seen him before. He thought he was just a rock.

"What…" Arthur was almost too afraid to ask, "What happened here?"

Merlin heaved a sigh, knowing Arthur was going to hate him forever, but then Arthur looked down.

"Oh god…" His eyes landed on the bleeding gash in his stomach. He worriedly was now all over Merlin. "You need to lie down."

"Look down more Arthur," Merlin said gently and- Arthur hated- acceptance.

Then Arthur saw the bark which had covered his knees.

"No…" He knelt down and tried to scrape it off until Merlin started whimpering. He turned in anger towards Mordred's form, but Merlin used a bloodied hand to hold him back.

"It's alright, Arthur."

"It's not!" He yelled, and grabbed Merlin's hand desperately, "W-what happened?"

For the first time ever, Merlin heard his king stutter. This brought a smile to his lips before it fell because he knew he had to explain. Looking down, Merlin decided to get it all out, "My Lord, I am Emyrs."

Arthur reflectively dropped Merlin's hand, and Merlin lost a little confidence as he continued.

"I came down here to… stop Morgana, but I didn't expect Mordred. I especially didn't expect Mordred to have an enchant sword… Oh god, I think I killed him. A-a-and I knew I was dying, so I used my last effort to turn Morgana to stone. At the same time…" Then he really couldn't go on.

There was a silence for a couple of seconds, and the bark was now to his hips. Arthur finally said, "So, you're a sorcerer?"

"Yes," Merlin quietly.

"Why?" Arthur hissed.

"W-w-well you s-see, I was born with it. A-apparently I was able to use magic as a baby. I-i-I wouldn't deliberately betray you sire, I swear! And if you w-want to burn me as a tree that's fine-" Merlin rushed before he was interrupted by Arthur.

"I don't mean that, you idiot!" Arthur's voice was heavy with emotion, "I mean, why did you come to Camelot? The magic-hating kingdom! Why would you be the man-servant of a prince who despised magic? Why wouldn't you… why wouldn't you team up with Morgana? Why wouldn't you hate me? And why… why would you do… this?"

"I believe in you Arthur, the once and future king. I believe you will unite Avalon, and free sorcerers and druids from their oppression. I believe you will bring about a time of prosperity," Merlin replied with conviction.

Arthur balled his hands into Merlin's shirt before hugging him tightly.

"You're Emyrs right? Can't you do something?" He asked desperately.

They pulled apart and Merlin shook his head resignedly. The bark was now up to his belly button.

"If anything, being turned into a tree is saving my life. A wound from an enchanted blade never heals."

Arthur was crying now, and it hurt Merlin to see him like this; to see him like this because of him. Arthur grabbed the back of Merlin's head.

"M-m-merlin, I-i-" Arthur tried, but Merlin cut him off with, "I know Arthur"

"No! Merlin, you've been a constant for my entire kinghood and several years while I was a prince. I could always count on you being there for me. So many people have betrayed me, but you… You… you're dying for me! I never wanted that! I-i-I wanted to live with you for the rest of our lives! Y-you didn't deserve this," Arthur sobbed, finally breaking down from the years of stress as a king, the years of hiding his feelings, and the daunting truth of the future without his one constant.

The bark was almost to his shoulders, but he could care less. Right now, it was just him and Arthur. He could feel tears start to spring into his own eyes. "A-A-Arthur… I've been hiding my magic from you for years now, and I'm so sorry! I know you probably feel betrayed that I didn't tell you, but I didn't want you torn between your love for me and your hatred for magic. B-b-because of that I thought you didn't deserve me! You don't! I've done terrible things."

Arthur cupped Merlin's face as the bark spread down his arms, "You didn't what had to be done, and I don't judge you for it. Oh god, I love you so much!"

Then they were kissing, and Merlin tasted like everything Arthur could have ever dreamed of, so soft. Arthur kiss was demanding and desperate because he knew he was quickly running out of time. There was no time to fully express how much he had yearned for the feel of the other man's lips on his own. Arthur clawed Merlin's hair.

Then Merlin pulled away reluctantly and gave Arthur a final, small smile and lowered his arms before his face turned into wood.

"N-n-no…" Arthur whimpered. He grabbed Merlin's face desperately.

"Merlin!"


End file.
